A promised one-time payment of up to $600 for Canadians living with disabilities to lessen the financial strain in the wake of coronavirus pandemic is now in limbo, as the measure was part of a bill that failed to receive bipartisan support.
But even if Ottawa finds a way to deliver the income support, as government officials have vowed to do, the funds will remain out of reach for a significant share of Canadians with disabilities, says a news report.
The money “misses all kinds of people,” said Ottawa resident Robert Morely, speaking before Parliament’s vote on Wednesday.
Morely, who was diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis, commonly known as chronic fatigue syndrome, is one of those people. While his disability is a lifelong condition, he lost his eligibility for the federal disability tax credit (DTC) and the ability to receive the $600 payment.
Only those with a valid certificate for the DTC, a non-refundable credit for people with disabilities and their families, would be eligible to receive Ottawa’s COVID-19 aid. And while that would ensure the income support would reach some 1.2 million people, it also means it wouldn’t reach hundreds of thousands more Canadians with disabilities, many of them in low-income households, who don’t have the DTC, according to experts.
